


Misinterpreted Mess

by vlaplomb



Series: Will is Uncomfortable [1]
Category: Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Funny, Kym is the fandom in this situation, Kywi fluff but Lauki angst, Lauki is still mad I'm sorry, a break from the angsty fics, rip Lauki, this is beta read for once, well kind of, why am i still tagging stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vlaplomb/pseuds/vlaplomb
Summary: “Kym Gets the Wrong Idea About Lauren and Kieran’s Relationship and Makes Will Very Uncomfortable” (alternative title)
Relationships: William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Series: Will is Uncomfortable [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815844
Comments: 23
Kudos: 127





	Misinterpreted Mess

**Author's Note:**

> For my beloved sister and beta reader, Liv 😌

“Kym, I seriously don’t understand why you had us call in a half day for this. We’re still in the office, doing Hermann’s bidding,” Will said. Kym tossed a glance over her shoulder, arching her eyebrows upon seeing that the reluctant lieutenant was still following her. Throwing open the door to the archives, she allowed Will to pass before closing it again behind them.

“You don’t need to understand, twat,” Kym shot back, making a beeline for the back of the room. Binders and dockets blurred in her peripheral as she sped past, taking long strides to stay decently ahead of Will. “Just follow my lead.”

“But Hermann asked us to do the spying as part of our duties - don’t you think he’s intent enough on finding Lune to let us spy during our normal hours so we can still get paid?”

“The key, Willame,” Kym said, spinning around to face him, “is that Hermann will never know we suspect Kieran. He’s a new hire; Hermann would have him out of here in an instant.” Will never had to know that it was actually Lauren who she suspected. She sighed, uneasy already. “I’ve gotten used to having that punk around.”

“Really?”

“He’s more fun than you, at least.”

“Hey!”

“Pipe down,” Kym said, herding him into a supply closet in the back. “They should be here any second.” The closet was shallow, but extended wider past the door than she expected. Running a hand along the photo boxes lining the rightmost wall, she eased back, leaning into the coats. Oh, how she couldn’t wait to get out of here and return to her lunch box stocked full with cubed watermelon-

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“Kieran and Lauren!” Kym grinned. “Yesterday, Kieran asked Lauren to meet him here first thing.” She waggled her eyebrows, eyeing William’s disturbed expression. “Juicier than watermelon, am I right?” The horror in his eyes deepened.

“Is this your sorry excuse for spying on Lauren’s love life?”

“You’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious too.”

“Honestly, I’m not!”

Kym slid her eyes over him. He truly looked disgusted, eyebrows knitted and teeth clenched in a grimace, and Kym couldn’t help but think it was a good look on him. Despite lacking a death wish, she wanted to annoy him more. “I don’t need Lauren’s ability to tell-”

“You know what? I’m leaving.” He took a step toward the door.

“No! Willame!” She looped her arm through his, feeling him tense under her touch. “Please stay! I was kidding. I need you here.” He turned back to her, an element of surprise blooming in his azure eyes. “For a witness, idiot,” she said hurriedly, rolling her eyes. “You know Hermann will never believe me if only I actually do hear something incriminating.”

Heaving a sigh, Will acquiesced, allowing Kym to yank him backwards into the supply closet. “Only because of Hermann’s orders.”

“Shut up,” Kym hissed. “I hear someone coming.” She hastily clicked the door shut, leaving herself and Will in nearly complete darkness.

Cloth-bound books and sturdy cardboard boxes lined the shelves of the closet. Kym inched up against the dusty records, putting as much distance between her and Will as possible. For this particular closet, that only meant about one foot. Inhaling, she threw him a sideways glance. He stood expectantly, hands folded behind him, watching the wall as though he could see right through into the archives. Though she teased him, she did admire his dedication to the mission. He had listened to her-

Because of Hermann’s orders. _Right. He is the lieutenant for a reason._

Heavy footsteps plodded into the archive room.

Kym straightened, pressing her ear to the door. Outside, a man released a hefty sigh. She could hear the rustling of fabric, almost able to envision Kieran taking off his signature, powder blue coat as he did every day upon entering. The footsteps grew louder yet, approaching where the two were hidden. Kym’s eyes widened.

She whipped around to pinch William in the arm, whose eyes were just as wide. He backed up to the left wall of the closet, just behind the doorframe. Kym felt his arms snatch her out of the door’s line of sight just as the door clicked open again.

They stood as still as possible, not daring to breathe. Kym could feel Will’s heartbeat against her shoulder blade. His breath caressed her ear, his arms locked around her midriff in a protective stance - there were butterflies raging in her stomach.

She fought the urge to slap herself. _Why are you so nervous? If Kieran catches you, you can just say you were looking for your lunch. You forgot where you put it. He’s stupid enough, and you’re stupid enough, he’ll believe you._

_And Will just so happened to be here, hugging you because you were… feeling down. Because that’s just what he does._

_Actually, why does this seem familiar?_ The image of Harvey’s corpse, ever imprinted on her brain, flooded her vision. Gulping, she tried to close her eyes, but he was still there. Will’s grip seemed to tighten around her - did he know?

__

After an eternity, Kieran finished hanging up his coat and replacing the wire hanger to its spot, shutting the closet door once again. Kym released the air she had been holding in.

__

“Déjà vu?” Will asked with a smirk as soon as Kieran was safely out of earshot.

__

“We're on a mission. Now is not the time for teasing,” Kym said under her breath, prying his arms off of her and tearing away.

__

"Well that's just a tad hypocritical, don't you think?"

__

“Since when did you become so sassy?”

__

He didn’t answer, turning back toward the door as if listening. Kym resumed her spying stance, trying to quiet her nerves.

__

Kieran was back in the archives - she had no reason to be nervous.

__

Boots, signature to the APD ,uniform, clicked in the distance, suddenly stopping as they grew louder. “Officer. I didn’t think you would actually come.”

__

“Fortunately for you, I’m actually loyal to our terms - unlike someone I know.” Lauren. Kym dug her nails into Will’s forearm, to which he responded with a wince. The poor man. “If I never wanted to meet you alone again, though, I do believe I would be perfectly justified.”

__

“And why is that, darling?”

__

Kym’s eyes widened further than she had ever known possible. _Darling?_ Gone was the quiet, occasionally quipping archivist.

__

In his place stood some teasing, seductive devil.

__

“I think he’s her type,” Kym whispered.

__

Will clasped a hand over her mouth. “How would you know if Lauren has a type? Her botched dates? Now, if it isn’t life or death, don’t say it.” Kym eyed his hand. “And don’t you dare bite me or something weird,” he added, releasing her.

__

“Hey-”

__

“That was life or death.”

__

“Kieran.” Lauren lowered her voice significantly. “I still have bruises from the last time.”

__

“Where?”

__

“My neck, you idiot! I’ve been disguising them with concealer. Where did you think they would be? You choked me.”

__

Will whimpered. Only then did Kym realize just how hard she was pinching him. Releasing him, she looked up, searching for some sort of acknowledgement of what Lauren had just said. Kieran? Choking Lauren? He only shook his head and kept listening.

__

It would be a hard toss-up when considering whose butt to kick first when they got out of this mess - Lauren, for hiding her steamy love life; Kieran, for hurting Lauren; or Will, for acting indifferent.

__

“Look, Lauren, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

__

“Oh wow. I feel so much better about meeting you here now,” she retorted, an unfamiliar mocking lilt rising in her voice. “You can't change what has happened.”

__

“Fine. You know, I wanted to make amends.” Something lightweight and metallic clattered to his desk. _His glasses?_

__

_Which of them had removed them?_

__

Kym slapped herself mentally, trying to shake her fabricated image of Lauren gently taking off Kieran’s glasses in preparation to “make amends.” She had definitely shipped her friend with the archivist before this exchange, and now? Sure, they were acting a bit toxic, but they would still make a powerful couple.

__

“Do you?” Lauren asked. “Or do you just want to use me again?” _Nope. Definitely not making ~~out~~ amends._

__

“Use you?” He sputtered. “Fine. If you think I used you, then don’t stay over at my apartment ever again. You aren’t welcome there.” Kym silently clapped a hand over her mouth, turning to check Will’s facial expression. Her only indication that he was comprehending any of this was his flushed face, visibly crimson even in the dark.

__

“From what I recall, it was you who made me stay. And if you asked me again, my answer would be no.”

__

“Fine. I’m fine with it being like this.”

__

Silence for a few beats. “You talk to me as if you don’t know I can hear your lies.”

__

“I wish I didn’t know.”

__

“No, you wish I couldn’t hear them.” Lauren sighed. “It’s over, Kieran. I need to focus on my career, and staying up every night with you really isn’t helping me focus during the work day.” She paused, contemplating. “And now you have a job, too - one you ought to take just as seriously as your other one.”

__

Her heels clacked angrily out of the room. “Lauren, I didn’t call you here to argue! There’s something else we have to talk about…”

__

He trailed off, following Lauren and leaving the spying duo alone in the closet. 

__

Kym let out a huge breath. “Will, we need to get out before they come back.” She was met with silence. “Will?” she asked, turning toward him.

__

His face was bright red as he stared emptily at the wall. “Willame!” Kym hissed, shaking him by both of his shoulders. “Look alive! We need to get out.”

__

“Lauren never seemed so...so…”

__

“Spicy?”

__

“What? No!” He looked away. “Maybe.”

__

“I mean, she’s already apparently slept with this dude, and probably more than once-”

__

“Kym! Lauren isn’t like that at all, and you know it!”

__

“You explain it to me, then, Will.” Kym crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. “She stays up with him at night. He distracts her from her job. She isn’t welcome at his apartment - _any more._ As in, _she once was._ He choked-”

__

“Enough! Let’s get out,” Will said, his face on the verge of purple. Oh, how Kym was enjoying this.

__

“But you still haven’t explained to me how that was not a lovers’ quarrel.”

__

“Kym.” He sighed, turning the doorknob to release both of them back into the office. “You’re completely illogical.”

__

“But you heard what I heard, right?” Kym reached up to take his shoulders in the palms of her hands, jostling him back and forth. “Shady! I think they must have just recently broken up, but Lauren never told me she was in a relationship in the first place.”

__

Will flushed further. “If I were her, I wouldn’t have told you either.”

__

Will - in a relationship? Kym’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Bold of you to assume anyone will ever like you enough to date you,” Kym said, turning away to mask her sentiments. The archive room was blissfully empty, infiltrating the supply closet with a shred of light. Ready to move on from this part of her day, she took a step out of the closet and into the open.

__

“I’ll agree with you that there’s something going on between those two - but I can’t put my finger on what,” Will remarked.

__

Kym pivoted to look at Will, clenching her fists. “If you’re suggesting that the two of them could be Lune, I-”

__

“No, that isn’t at all what I was suggesting. Where did you get that impression?”

__

She stopped in her tracks. _Oops. Abort mission._ “Well,” she said, racking her brain for a diversion, “I can hardly wait until Christmas now.”

__

“Why is that?”

__

“So I can set up some mistletoe above Lauren’s desk. Put a little ‘ho ho ho’ in her life.” Kym bolted for the door, tie trailing behind her. Just before she exited the archives, she leaned back through the threshold. “And so I can run you over with a car and pass it off as a Christmas miracle to the rest of our precinct.”

__

Before Will could react, she set off down the hallway, a bounce in her step as she went to retrieve her watermelon bento box. She needed to take an early lunch that day.

__

**Author's Note:**

> [Join the Purple Hyacinth Discord!](https://discord.gg/MRyCG3)   
>  [Read Purple Hyacinth on Webtoon!](https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/purple-hyacinth/list?title_no=1621)


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